Means for increasing the velocity of fluids for metering purposes.



J. WILKINSON. MEANS FOR INCREASING THE VELOCITY OF FLUIDS FOR METERING PURPOSES.

APPLICATION FILED sEPT.2. 1914.

1,145,222. PatentedJuly 6,1915.

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JAMES WILKINSON,

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OF SCHENECTADY, YORK, ASSIGNOR T'O GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MEANS FOR INCREASING THEVELOCITY OF FLUIDS FOR METERING PURPOSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1915.

Original application filed July 12, 1913, Serial No. 778,759. Divided and this application filed September 2,

1914. Serial No. 859,823.

To all whom it may concern citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady,

State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Increasing the Velocity of Fluids for Metering Purposes, of which the followlng 1s a specification.

This application is a division of my appl cation, Serial No. 778,759, filed July 12,

The present invention relates to the metering of fluids flowing through a conduit and particularly to the metering of fluids flowing at low velocity, although it 1s not limited thereto.'

The object of my invention Is to provide an improved arrangement which will give very accurate results under all conditions of For a consideration of what I believe to.

' be novel in my invention, attention is directed to the following specification and claims appended thereto.

Referring to the drawmgs, Flgure 1 1s a sectional view through a portion of a conduit showing my improved metering arrangement applied thereto. Flg. 2 1s an end 'view'looking toward the left of Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is a 'view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modification.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, 4 1nd1- cates a main or conduit for the fluid, such as steam, for example, which is uniform in cross-section and conveys fluid to an engine which is designed in accordance with well known laws to gradually increase the veloeity of. the fluid from the inlet or up stream end 9 to the outlet or down stream end 10. After the steam or other fluid leaves the nozzle its velocity will be decreased to substantially the same value that it had prior to entering the nozzle and hence the losses in the pipe line will be no greater than they were before. The nozzle I is provided with a flange 11 that is perpen- Be it known that I, JAMES WILKINSON, a-

tle space, thereby avoiding-the necessity of shortening one or both sections of, the conduit 4. The flange 11 serves-as a means for supporting the nozzle centrally within the conduit. Near the discharge end of the nozzle, an opening is provided to receive the nozzle plug 12, the latter being provided with a series of openings 13, facing the moving column of fluid and one or more orifices 14 that face in the opposite direction. These orifices 13 and 14 communicate through suitable conduits with the leading and trailing sides of a manometer instrument as is well understood in this art, the same acting on the principle of a Pitot tube to set up a pressure diflerence which bears a definite relation to the rate of flow of the fluid being metered.

In order to obtain accurate results with an arrangement of this character, it is neces sary that the fluid flowing through the main.

or conduit should be directed against the pressure difference creating device, as the nozzle plug 12, in an even and uniform man ner. It'has been found in actual practice that there is often more or less eddying and unevenness of flow of the fluid, particularly Where there are bends in the conduit or main and this has led to instruments giving results which are not wholly accurate. In order to overcome this difliculty and to produce greater evenness and uniformity in the flow of the fluid, I secure guiding or direct ing means in the nozzle or reducer 8. This guiding or directing means consists preferably of a series of dividing members or partitions 15 which separate the interior of the nozzle into a plurality of parallel paths. In the present instance these members are shown as comprising a pair of sheet metal members which are bent to a truncated V form and suitably fastened together and to the cylindrical wall of the retainer. In the present instance, I have shown the parts as being rivetedbut it will be understood that of the passage be as smooth and even as possible so as not to \disturbthe flow in any manner. Through the flange 11 inside the main or conduit is arranged a small drain opening 18 which, in case steam is being metered, allows any water in the pipes to pass. The guide members preferably pro-- 'ject some little distance beyond the inlet or up stream end of the nozzle or pipe reducer 8 as shown, thus acting to guide the fluid into the nozzle as well as direct it after it has entered the same. By the use of this the flow so that the fluid isdirected against 7 guide means, I, in a sense, straighten out the pressure diflerencecreatingdevice 111 straight parallel lines. It will be 'noted that the directing vanes terminate a short distance from the outlet or down stream end of the pipe reducer 8 and that the nozzle plug 12 is located just beyond the ends of the same. I find this to be a particularly advantageous arrangement.

I .Referring n'owto Fig. 3, I have shown a modified form of my invention wherein the pipe reducer or nozzle is formed 'as a special pipe section 20 inserted between two sections of the pipe line. This pipe section has a definite internal cross-sectional area and performs the same function and operates in the same manner as does the nozzle 8 shown in Fig. -1.' The guide means 21 shown in this figure is similar to that shown in Fig. v1 and may be secured in place in any suitable manner. In this figure, 22 indicates the nozzle plug and 23 and 24 the leading and trailing pipes respectively, which connect with the manometer instrument. In connection withthis form of the invention, I have shown a conical strainer 25 of cast or sheet metal pierced with numerous holes.

This strainer is bolted in the enlarged chamher-'26 of the pipesection 20 and is located on the approach side of the guide members 21. In addition to performing its ordinary straining functions, this strainer serves also to break. up any eddying or irregular flow of the fluid. I

By the above arrangement I am enabled to meter low velocity fluids of irregular flow in an accurate and eflicient manner, the nozzle section orreduoed pipe section operating to increase the velocity of-flow so that it can be readily metered while the guiding and directing vanes act to direct the fluid in straight parallel and even lines upon the .pressure difference creating device.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes,- Ihave described the prin-' ciple of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which 'I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof;

but I desire to have it understood that the 1. In an apparatus for metering low velocity fluids, the combination with the conduit through which the fluid to be metered flows, of a funnel-shaped nozzle located in said, conduit through which all the fluid flows, the larger end of said nozzle facing the direction of flow so that all the fluid in flowing through it has its velocity uniformly increased,-fluid directing vanes fixed inside the funnel-shaped nozzle for directing the flow in straight parallel lines, and a' pressure difi'erence creating device arranged in said conduit adjacent the smaller end of said nozzle that is adapted to be acted on by the flowing fluid to create at such point a pressuredifi'erenc e responsive to changes in the rate of flow of the fluid to be metered, said device being acted on by the fluidafterits velocity has been increased by the nozzle.

2. In a flow meter, the combination with a conduit through which the fluid to be metered flows,.of a removable furfnelshaped nozzle located in the conduit for increasing the velocity of'flow and through which all the fluid to be metered flows, fluid directing vanes fixed inside the funnel shaped member for directing the flow in straight parallel lines, and a pressure difference creating device located in the end of the nozzle and beyondv the directing vanes as regards the direction of flow.

3. In a flow meter, the combination with a conduit of uniform cross-section through which the fluid to be metered flows, of a funnel shaped nozzle located therein for increasing the velocity of flow and through plug projecting through the wall of the conduit and the said other end of the nozzleat, a point adjacent the ends of the said directing vanes. I

4. Ina flow meter, the combination with a conduit of uniform cross-section through which the fluid to. be metered flows, of a nozzle of smaller diameter than the conduit located therein and shaped to temporarily increase the velocity of the fluid passing through said conduit, fluid directing vanes carried by said nozzle and dividing the interior of the same into a plurality of parallel fluid directing passages, sa1d fluid directing vanes extending from a point outside the up-stream end of the nozzle to a point short of the down-stream end of the nozzle and a pressure difference creating device inserted in said conduit adjacent the ends of the directing vanes.

5. In an apparatus for metering low velocity fluids, the combination With a conduit through which the fluid to be metered flows, of a member associated with said conduit and forming a short section of reduced diametr for increasing the Velocity of flow and through Which all the fluid to be metered flows, said member having an opening adjacent its down-stream end, fluid directing vanes in the said member which extend from the upstream end thereof to a point spaced from the other end and adjacent to 5 said opening, anda nozzle plug projecting through said opening into the member so as to be acted upon by the fluid after its velocity has been increased. v

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set 20 my hand this 31st day ofAugust, 1914:.

JAMES WILKINSON.

Witnesses:

JAMES MURRAY WEED, WILBUR A. PREssEY. 

